Cylinders land on earth and the invaders, from Mars, with their huge, round bodies and tentacles, start to vaporize the people of Earth. Houses, towns and cities are soon destroyed in a spiral of violence, creating civil panic and mass evacuations before a foul black smoke is released by the aggressive alien force. But the fightback must begin, and it comes from an unexpected quarter. H.G. Wells' classic tale of invasion has stirred our imagination for over a hundred years. Its intense mix of realism and fantasy continues to prick at anyone interested in a great adventure story by a master storyteller. This Gorgeous collector's edition includes the short story 'A Dream of Armageddon' and another tale of Wells' seminal early science fiction, The First Men in the Moon.
Flame Tree Collector's Editions present the foundations of speculative fiction, authors without whom the imaginative literature of the twentieth century would not exist, bringing the best and most influential writers into a striking and collectable library. Each book features a new introduction, a short biography and a glossary of Gothic, Victorian and Literary terms.
Herbert George Wells was born to a working class family in Kent, England. Young Wells received a spotty education, interrupted by several illnesses and family difficulties, and became a draper's apprentice as a teenager. The headmaster of Midhurst Grammar School, where he had spent a year, arranged for him to return as an "usher," or student teacher. Wells earned a government scholarship in 1884, to study biology under Thomas Henry Huxley at the Normal School of Science. Wells earned his bachelor of science and doctor of science degrees at the University of London. After marrying his cousin, Isabel, Wells began to supplement his teaching salary with short stories and freelance articles, then books, including The Time Machine (1895), The Island of Dr. Moreau (1896), The Invisible Man (1897), and The War of the Worlds (1898).
Wells created a mild scandal when he divorced his cousin to marry one of his best students, Amy Catherine Robbins. Although his second marriage was lasting and produced two sons, Wells was an unabashed advocate of free (as opposed to "indiscriminate") love. He continued to openly have extra-marital liaisons, most famously with Margaret Sanger, and a ten-year relationship with the author Rebecca West, who had one of his two out-of-wedlock children. A one-time member of the Fabian Society, Wells sought active change. His 100 books included many novels, as well as nonfiction, such as A Modern Utopia (1905), The Outline of History (1920), A Short History of the World (1922), The Shape of Things to Come (1933), and The Work, Wealth and Happiness of Mankind (1932). One of his booklets was Crux Ansata, An Indictment of the Roman Catholic Church. Although Wells toyed briefly with the idea of a "divine will" in his book, God the Invisible King (1917), it was a temporary aberration. Wells used his international fame to promote his favorite causes, including the prevention of war, and was received by government officials around the world. He is best-remembered as an early writer of science fiction and futurism.
He was also an outspoken socialist. Wells and Jules Verne are each sometimes referred to as "The Fathers of Science Fiction". D. 1946.
‘The First Men in the Moon’ is by far the best short story in this collection from H.G. Wells. The Promethean world Well’s has created is clever and original; the aliens, the moon, the anti-gravity machine… such a beautifully vivid imagination! This story is the perfect balance of weird, dark & fun. Definitely 5 stars!
‘The War of the Worlds’ was an enjoyable read but it didn’t impress me as much. The story is intriguing and the comparisons between humanity viewing itself as ‘Masters of the Earth’, then succumbing to the Martians rule, were particularly eye-opening & compelling. However, the ending was unconvincing and left me feeling a little disappointed. It’s still worth a read though!
EN - Good read, not voluntarily though. I like the language but to be honest, it's nothing special. Sci-fi isn't really my thing anyway, so maybe that's why.